


Material Girl

by Whittakerjodie



Series: 13th Doctor X Reader [13]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi, the title is from a song the reader is gender neutral
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:08:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23671309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whittakerjodie/pseuds/Whittakerjodie
Summary: The Reader has quite the collection of trinkets from their time-travelling adventures. The Doctor wants to contribute.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Reader
Series: 13th Doctor X Reader [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1613002
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	Material Girl

You didn’t just love shiny things; anything beautiful caught your eye and kept it for a long while. Part of you knew that you shouldn’t dedicate so much sentiment to material objects, but you couldn’t help yourself. The Doctor noticed your habit for keeping souvenirs when she’d barged into your room at 3 in the morning, yelling about a Silurian attack happening a few towns away. (She’d landed in the wrong month, but you were happy to see her nonetheless, as she was 2 weeks late picking you up for an adventure)

“Oh, this is from Atros!” She said with a smile, picking up a large necklace you’d purchased from the merchant-filled planet. It was glittering with dozens of unknown gems, all wrapped in a red metal native to the planet. It was one of many, many, many jewelry items you had, and it was only a small piece compared to the rest of the souvenirs you’d taken. 

“I know you said not to keep a bunch of stuff, because of the timelines and what not” You said. “But I’m not showing it to anybody, I promise. I just… like having it all, I suppose.” 

The Doctor put the necklace back carefully, thinking as her eyes scanned over the rest of your impressive collection. After a minute and a quick scan of her sonic screwdriver at a particularly suspicious looking item, she turned back to you. “It’s alright, then. Didn’t ever realize you kept so much. Is it just for memories sake?” 

She had taken a seat on the edge of your bed, peering down at you curiously. Propping yourself on your elbows, you responded: “That’s part of it, yeah, but I guess the aesthetics play into it as well.” 

“Aesthetics?” 

“It’s pretty,” You clarified. The Doctor grinned, like she’d thought of something brilliant. 

“Fair enough. You should get some rest. I’ll be back soon.” Despite your protests on account of her tardiness, she ran back into her magic blue box and it began to disappear, sending her away from you. Fluffing your pillow up with an annoyed huff you layed back down, eyes remaining fixated on your beautiful trinkets as you waited for them to close. 

It was another week before the Doctor arrived again. Every day you tried to incorporate a bit of alien accessories into your outfit, choosing the most human-like ones so you didn’t raise suspicions. Colors and designs didn’t matter, but some of them had a tendency to be secret weapons or glow in unnatural ways. The last thing you needed was questions being asked and the Doctor taking your prizes away. 

After work one day, you set the pair of sparkling star-shaped earrings, cut out of Etherian sunstone, onto the shelf where you kept everything else. You stared at the pair for several moments, lips stretching into a small smile at their beauty, which was only accessible to you and you alone. Was it selfish of you to keep such things to yourself? You didn’t care to consider things like that for very long. As long as you were appreciating them properly… that’s what mattered. 

The familiar _whorp whorp_ of the TARDIS broke through the air and your lips stretched farther into a full grin. She was late, again, but you found it hard to complain when each trip yielded such wonderful experiences and treasures. You could hear her stomping around the living room, looking for you. 

“In here!” You called. Weeks ago, you would’ve scolded yourself for being so bold as to invite her into your bedroom, but you missed her _so_ much, and you were sure she wouldn’t take notice of the implications. Sure enough, the door was thrown open eagerly. You stepped back from the mirror; You’d gotten dressed again, in pajamas. However, you still managed to add a little extra ‘something’ , a ring made out of resin encasing the ashes of a dead star. It was still beautiful, but in a sad way. It was a privilege to own it, knowing that each particle of ash had once belonged to a collective marvel. When you saw it in the shop, you couldn’t _not_ buy it. 

The Doctor gasped when her eyes fell upon it, immediately pulling your hands into her own. “Wow!” She gasped, turning your hand over. “That looks like… hmm.. Seems like the remains of Sotonus-97!” 

“You can tell by looking?” You asked in awe, blushing as she kept your hand held tightly in her own despite finishing her examination. She nodded, then reached into her back pocket. 

“Close your eyes” You did as you were told, eyebrow raising out of curiosity. The Doctor giggled softly, something that made your heart flutter. Then, your senses focused on the weight that she was setting into your palm. 

“Alright, open them” Once again following the Doctor’s orders, you let your eyes flutter open, and they landed on one of the most beautiful bracelets you’d ever seen in your life. A loud, shocked gasp escaped you as you glanced over the polished gold, curved into a ring that the Doctor could easily slip onto your wrist. All across the surface of the bracelet was a tightly woven abstract piece of circles and lines- you recognized it as the text that littered the TARDIS monitors and ceilings. 

“Doctor… _wow_ ” You whispered, running your finger across the bracelet's surface. The Timelord kept her eyes on you, gauging your reaction to the gift. She let out a small sigh as she realized the reception was positive, the edge of her lips twitching upwards. 

“I assume you like it?” She asked. You chuckled; clearly you did, but the Doctor could always use the extra affirmation. 

“Of course, Doctor” You reassured her, setting your hand on her cheek. The two of you froze, smiles not faltering but not exactly growing either. The bracelet felt a lot heavier against your skin, pulling you down and yet doing so little to ground you back into reality. Did you really just do that? Realizing that every second you were panicking was another awkward moment of your hand caressing her, you let it fall back to your side.

“I-I got it from the Patraxus system. They let you engrave anything.” 

“What does it say?” You wondered, tracing the patterns. The Doctor leaned back, scratching the back of her head with an awkward stretch of her lips. 

“It doesn’t exactly have an english equivalent,” You nodded, accepting her answer despite something in the back of your head recognizing her lie. The Doctor wasn’t always honest about some things, particularly related to her past and people, and you knew not to push it. 

“It’s absolutely beautiful either way. Thank you, really!” 

“Don’t have to thank me. Always happy to share bits of the universe. Figured I owed you for being so late, anyway. Speaking of that- were you about to sleep? I can always leave and come back” 

Realizing she was planning on whisking you away, you glanced at your closet. You could find something else to wear. “Don’t you _dare._ I’ll get changed, and then I fully expect you to surprise me.” 

Not that she ever failed at that. 

* * *

When you got changed out of your pajamas and quicikly drank a cup of coffee to keep yourself awake for whatever the Doctor had in store, you pushed open the door of the big blue box residing in your living room. The space-time machine gave a pleasant whirrr as you entered, the crystal columns growing a brighter shade of orange. In the corner of the room, Yaz and Ryan were talking with each other. Graham was nowhere in sight, and the Doctor was fidgeting at the console. 

“Hey guys, what’s up?” 

“Little tired,” Ryan said with a shrug. “Graham decided to skip out on this one, don’t think he appreciates getting his sleep interrupted that much. Hey- what’s that?” 

Noticing his gaze was focused on the Doctor’s gift, you lifted your wrist so he could examine it closer. His eyebrows raised as the gold glowed under the lights of the TARDIS. “Wicked. Where’d you get that one from?” 

“I got it from the Doc actually! Said she owed me for being so late.” Yaz scoffed and crossed her arms, taking her own turn gawking at the garment. 

“We didn’t get anything” 

“You didn’t?” 

“Maybe a quick half-assed apology, but certainly not something like this!” Ryan complained. Suddenly, your cheeks felt *very* warm. Why would the Doctor give you something and not them? Maybe it was easier to find gifts for you because of your collection habits? Or… your mind toyed with another, more romantic idea. Yaz and Ryan seemed to be following the same thread, and they smirked. 

“Well.. I’m sure it's just something she thought would look cool in my collection!” You offered quickly. They shared a look before rolling their eyes, dragging you over to the console so you could help them convince the Doctor to take the three of you to Paris (a trip you’d all been trying to organize for some time- it was hard to decide on what time period to visit) 

The gifts didn't stop at the bracelet; it seemed as though, after showing her your collection, she became quite invested in contributing to it. Even if you weren’t accompanying her on an adventure, she would find something for you to add. It wasn't like you could refuse- each and everyone was beautiful beyond description and begged to be cherished properly. 

“Do you need new shelves or anything?” The Doctor asked. Setting your hairbrush down on your dresser, you turned your head towards her. She was adding a few gemstones to your collection, frowning. There was no longer any space on any surface in your room to house more trinkets. 

“Oh. Guess I didn’t realize they were getting that crowded,” You said with a laugh. The Doctor grinned and pocketed the stones, sitting on your bed. The sight made your heart sing a little. Not the time, you reminded yourself. 

The TARDIS had taken quite the hit earlier in the day, while the five of you were getting chased by aliens. The Space-time machine was currently refueling, and Yaz and Ryan had practically thrown the Doctor at you for the night. Now the two of you were alone in your flat, staying up _far_ too late. The Doctor didn’t sleep much, you knew that, but it felt like if you gave into your urge to sleep you’d miss out on time with her. And one-on-one encounters didn’t happen as much as you wanted them too. 

“You alright, Y/N?” The time lord asked. You nodded and she reached over to pull your blanket back, fluffing your pillow. “Think it might be time for you to sleep. Graham gave me a mouthful for interrupting his so much… Sometimes I forget how much of it you lot need.” 

“Not really tired,” You protested, but a yawn contradicted your already weak argument. The Doctor raised a brow and patted the mattress beside her. Unable to go against the Doctor’s orders you lower yourself onto the soft surface. She pulled the comforter back over you, tucking you in. 

“I’ll be in the living room if you need me. Sleep well!” As she stood, your hand caught her wrist, a million thoughts running through your head. “Y/N?” 

“Stay?” realizing how desperate you sounded, you cleared your throat and tried the request again. “Will you stay? Just for a bit? We don’t get many moments like this is all” 

The Doctor blinked, surprised, then nodded and returned to her spot. “Like this?” 

“Well, that’s fine, but you can lie down if you want too,” Your voice was barely above a whisper, but it was better that way; then she couldn’t hear how much it trembled from nervousness. She slowly laid down on her side, facing you with a curious look in her eye. 

“Do you want a bedtime story?” It was too hard to fight your laugh, and the timelord rolled her eyes playfully. “I’ll have you know I’m ace at them. Dad skills. Or- mum skills? No, definitely dad skills. Not that it matters” 

“I just wanted to talk for a bit I suppose” 

“About what?” the Doctor whispered, eyes never leaving yours. 

“Anything?” 

Before the Doctor could choose from her infinite options, there was a loud **bang** from across your flat, followed by an orchestra of destruction. The Doctor’s reflexes were a lot quicker than yours and she shot up from the bed just as you processed that anything had occurred. There were several loud footsteps coming closer and a deafening grumbling voice. 

The aliens from earlier. The Doctor stepped into the hallway, switching into Oncoming Storm mode. You finally came to your senses and you got to your feet, looking around the room for something to grab to use as a makeshift weapon. 

“How’d you manage to escape the time loop?” The Doctor demanded to know. When you saw motion out of the corner of your eyes they dropped downward. The Doctor was motioning towards the window, the action just out of the aliens sights. 

Even without following instruction and heading towards the window, you knew any efforts would be in vain. You had no fire escape close by your window and it was too high of a drop for you to make without breaking something, which you preffered to avoid doing. 

When the Doctor didn’t hear the window open she glanced at you quickly, asking why you weren’t doing as you were told with her eyes. You shook your head and she pursed her lips in understanding. Then, her eyes went wide and she quickly dashed back into the room, slamming the door and throwing one of your dressers to the floor in front of it. 

Milliseconds after she did so, the door began to shake as the aliens pounded their fists against it, demanding entrance. The Doctor threw the window open and then her hand landed on your shoulder and pulled you downward onto the floor. Behind the door, you could hear a sinister beeping begin and the Doctor tugged on your shirt, frantically crawling underneath the bed. This time, you were able to follow orders. 

As soon as you were under the bed safely, the Doctor’s arms wrapped around you, holding you tightly to her chest. It was hard to enjoy the position when the beeping was getting louder by the second until there was a sudden wave of force pushing against you. The door gave way easily to the bomb that the aliens had placed behind it, and the splinters of wood shot across the room. Thankfully, nothing hit you, as you happened to be receiving full-body protection from an alien that was a lot less violent than the ones stepping past the destroyed door. 

The Doctor pressed you even tighter to her still as a whimper made it’s way past your lips, her fingers tangling themselves in your hair. “Don’t make a sound” 

You nodded against her embrace, shutting your eyes to make the effort easier. The aliens were stepping all around your room, throwing your belongings all over to examine them. One of the aliens reached the window, and they grunted, annoyed. By opening the window, the Doctor had let them believe that you’d already escaped. 

_“Let’s leave,_ ” One of the aliens hissed. _“Clearly this place is of no use to us. The humans will pay for their disobedience.”_

Several grunts followed, and then their footsteps retreated into the distance. Just when you found yourself feeling safe enough to open your eyes, the same menacing beep started up again, coming from what seemed to be multiple sources. The Doctor smoothed your hair behind your ear, eyes wide. 

“I think we need to run, **_now!_** ” Running was the status quo, but it was a lot harder to run from your own home. The two of you rolled out from underneath the bed on different sides, meeting up in the middle of the room to begin your escape. Grabbing your hand, the Doctor dragged you through your flat. All along the floor there were small black boxes, glowing red and beeping. 

“You wouldn’t happen to have a back door by any chance?” The Doctor yelled over the looping noise. You descended the stairs to the floor below. 

“One, another flight down!” The two of you raced to the back door, and you silently prayed that the bombs would be weak enough to not harm any of the other residents of the building. The Doctor kicked the door open, pulling the two of you into the outdoors. 

The move was rushed and the two of you awkwardly fell to the ground just in time to watch the force from the bombs reduce your windows to dust. Flames branched out from all of the brand new holes in your home, burning into the back of your eyes. The Doctor covered you with her body again, shielding you from falling debris. 

Twenty five minutes and a conversation with the fire chief later, you were left standing outside of your destroyed flat, waiting for the others to show up and help the Doctor and you hunt the aliens down again. A shiver ran through your body as a sharp wind moved through the air, and soon there was a sleek fabric draped over your shoulders. 

“Sorry about everything” The Doctor murmured, no longer wearing her signature coat. It was hard to think of something to say; after all, you had just lost all of your belongings and the only place outside of the TARDIS that you could call home. Understanding why you didn’t respond, the Doctor slowly eased an arm around your shoulder to comfort you. “I’d be happy to find you another flat- or a house, if you preferred. And clothes, too. The TARDIS could probably recreate half your closet using your memories alone!” 

“It’s not those things, I suppose… I talked to the fire chief. There’s only a little bit of my collection left.” You revealed, voice thick and wavering. The Doctor sighed and hugged you tighter, reaching for your hand. You were still wearing the golden bracelet she gave you weeks ago. She smiled down at it, giving your hand a comforting squeeze. 

“We’ll just have to collect a lot more, then. Tell you what- from now on, we’re not leaving a single planet until we have _at least_ 2 items for the collection, I promise. 3, even! How does that sound?” 

Spirits lifting with the help of her cheerful tone and eagerness to make you happier, you couldn’t help but mirror her smile. “Sure, Doc, that sounds great” 

You leaned to your side to press a kiss to her cheek. When you pulled back, the skin was pink, her eyes crinkling as her smile transformed into a grin. Voices called out your names and the two of you turned, seeing Ryan, Yaz, and Graham running towards you. 

“Come on then,” You murmured to the time lord. “Let’s get rid of these guys and then start working on that promise of yours, yeah?” 

As the Doctor pulled the two of you back into action, you didn’t bother looking back. There would be time to mourn efficiently later. For the moment, all you needed to focus on was the woman holding your hand. After all, no matter what treasures you collected or lost, the greatest one was always the Doctor


End file.
